Zero
by Interplay
Summary: VanaN'Ice / Infatuation, broken hearts, lies, secrets. A small group of high school students, a mysterious biker gang passing through town; "birds of a feather flock together," and Len just doesn't quite understand what he's been drug into this time.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 01**

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><p>About a month has passed since Kaito's dispute with his family.<p>

Of course, the Shion family had returned to normal a week after the incident (rather, returned to whatever normal was to them, as they were a bunch quite out of the ordinary). Maybe, as Len did perhaps, this was merely the way they dealt with things: Choosing to not acknowledge them. None of them bothered to shield Kaito from the harsh words anyone spewed in favour of looking the other way. As much as the next guy, Len accepted the fact that it did absolutely nothing to baby the blue-headed teen, but it was getting ridiculous in his opinion. Sullen glances shifted from seldom to regular, forced laughter at simple jokes and playful banter every time the subject seemingly came to mind.

He knew from the first moment when the blue boy, who had made it a habit to keep Len at his house during the weekends when family was away, woke him from a rusty dream with persistent shaking and a few whimpers here and there. Len felt utterly helpless, and this was not an emotion he dealt well with. Terrified noises soon plagued the room and the most he could do was wrap an arm possessively around the taller's waist and pull him close while the taciturn man burrowed his head into the other's chest and resumed sleeping peacefully, warmly. Kaito, too, ignored the problem and acted like it had never happened the next morning.

Your middle name had to have been _Stupid_ if you couldn't pick up that there was a serious _problem_.

Subtle flinches at the passive yet harsh comments thrown his way by family members, the little shifts to glance away when being spoken to sternly. Being jumpy around larger groups of people. It was if he had grown scared of the world in the last month.

He exhibited signs of being bullied.

In the evening they had alone together, Len made the comment that had bothered him for a while. It caught his partner off guard, and the determined glow in his hues had Kaito dropping his ice cream straight into his lap. He stood up abruptly, cursing under his breath as the cold treat melted quickly into his jeans and a little on his shirt, trying to pick up the remnants and rush into the kitchen to save the rest of the living room from a sticky disaster. Kaito heated up red as a fire hydrant when Len laughed, following after him into the kitchen.

"So?" Pressed the blonde, sliding into a chair, eyes working stealthily up and down the larger frame that dampened a towel to wipe away the mess from his shirt.

"So what?" A nervous bite at a plump lower lip, "I don't know where you got that idea from, of course I'm not being bullied." There was a pause, the blotchy flush fading gradually from his pale face. "They're my family, for starters."

The argument was slick as sand. It didn't take much to disprove his reasoning, the excuse so full of flaws that there were too many to count. Of course, accompanying the blatant lie was Kaito's lax posture. It remained easy to read, the refusal to look Len in the eye telling him Kaito felt like a mouse, caught in the corner, and the boy played the role of the ferocious feline charging to devour him. The man twiddled his thumbs, burning friction holes into the towel. With each rub he could feel the anger of Ms. Shion, somewhere, steadily rising as the safety of her property declined. The elder's visage was lowered so Len could not see past the barrier of hair, but the features of a stoic face came to sight. His shoulders dropped and gave off a sombre aura. Kaito couldn't lie for the life of him.

Taking the worried cloth from the other's grasp, Len began to wipe off the remains of the offending treat from Kaito's shirt. It didn't have much an effect on brightening the grim mood, but in kneeling down near the elder's crotch with a cheeky grin plastered from ear to ear and wiping away the stain from the jeans he succeeded in bringing a new splash of colour to those fading pink cheeks. Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth innocently, he finished one pant leg then the other, wiping his own hands off as he stood, before tossing the rag into the sink.

It did nothing to push the truth out of Kaito.

"I got it, you don't have to say." He placed a hand on the shoulder of the generically confused senior. "Just remember, I'm here for you." Steady, long fingers encompassed the younger's hold, pulling it away in favour of twining their grips together.

"I'm thankful." Kaito mentioned, sheepishly grinning down at Len, who seemed to only fall deeper into infatuation with the individual before him once again.

* * *

><p><strong>an:** well i think i'll try and update on saturdays  
>this is a very very very loose interpretation of a compilation of vanan'ice songs<br>i highly recommend looking into vanan'ice music stuff if you don't know anything about them because my life p much revolves around them

this is for u yuki  
>a weird first chapter<p>

the rest will be longer by far i promise


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

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><p>The television blared on in the background. It was a peaceful sound, a little white noise that made the vast empty feel a little more occupied than it was. Unlike footsteps on the hardwood, or a whistle from one end of a hallway to the other, it was more like a filling sound as it echoed. It made the atmosphere warm, complimentary to the two boys huddled peacefully under a fuzzy blanket together, unabashed. One was nestled, blue hair tickling a lesser defined chin. They were laying, Len using one hand to hold his book up, the other turning through thin locks as Kaito slept atop his chest blissfully. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and this sort of situation had become the norm for them.<p>

Kagamine Len was fourteen years old, an average freshman in high school. He was a very precocious child, maturity exceeding both that of his peers and even sometimes his own parents (though he'd never be so bold as to outright say so in front of anyone). His sister was the same age, she was his twin, and his antithesis in every well-respected aspect. Len held himself with a stunning amount of self-respect, some would say pride, and never allow himself to fall in to the pressures of those around him, often taking things at a pace he felt comfortable with; one that suited him. Given that fact and the lack of a social life outside the few friends he's made, and his sister's shenanigans, the reputation of his sky high amounts of school work was set in stone.

He enjoyed advancing quickly. In _everything_.

In the end, his decisions always proved beneficial. From his starting day in a new school, Len was pushed straight into advanced courses, one, even two years ahead of his time. In the beginning of the year, teachers never failed to lecture to their students the old wives tale that _"this is what you'll see in college, so take it serious", _as they handed out assignments one after the other, due dates within hours of each other, filling their grade books to the brim with the tears of students who'd made the unfortunate choice of having a life other than academics while simultaneously caring for their Grade Point Average. Len's workloads diminished gradually with every step forward, or maybe he was simply balancing the tasks better. Who could say?

So, of course, being highly successful in the courses upon him, managing to get into a class comprised mainly of juniors and seniors was nothing to quibble over or be excited about. It was a regular course for juniors, a few smart sophomores managing a spot vaguely in a few other hours, and a handful of seniors who either haven't taken or didn't pass the class the year prior to. However, his teacher made sure to point out that the blonde was the only freshman in the class, and it was in their best decisions to treat him kindly.

The course was a lab based science, not one of his particular favourites. It was mentioned it required a lot of memorisation and studying on his part, although the maths inquired were some of the easiest bits so far. He was placed in a lab group of the slower seniors, one nearest to a window to which he stared out of most of the class period for the first week or so. Not that he didn't pay attention, but he decidedly saved most of his work to occupy his time at home.

One of his group members was Kaito.

Kaito Shion; Shion being his legally changed surname. It was never made a secret that his mother had not given birth to him, that his adoptive father never saw him as his own son. He never minded much. There was a roof over his head, a warm bed beneath his body at night, and had a great upbringing. Even so, the Shion family had chosen to take him in primarily because they felt bad for him; a mother passing in childbirth, and a father that fell off the face of the planet three years later, only being confirmed as dead from substance abuse a year after Kaito had been adopted. The four year old remembered the day clearly, but now some thirteen years later the foggy memory meant as little to him as a penny on the ground. It was there, worth something, but not enough value behind it that he truly cared.

His newer father was a wise businessman, and often drank. For several years after his adoption he remembered being called the child of tragedy, being told that nothing good would come of him, being scolded that all he did was bring misery. At the age of ten he attempted to run away, the sojourn lasting a very short amount of time. He fell in a puddle and used his last fifty cents to ring his family, who proceeded to travel a half hour out and pick him up. Upon returning home, nobody ever spoke of the incident, however his mother made him a nice warm meal, and the old man quit drinking at home from that moment on.

Seven years after that event, his life had remained peaceful, lovely, but very secretive. He thinks he's turned out okay, though never bothered his family with his problems, and kept to himself or to his small friend group.

The ageing adolescent never had the energy or brain power to retain much knowledge in maths or sciences. He fell into the section of seniors that took all their required courses for these two subjects in the last year of their school life, lest they face not being able to graduate. It wasn't a problem to Kaito, not really, never specifically setting his eyes on any goals outside of school. He enjoyed singing, acting, dancing, entertaining in general - a community college for the arts stood out to him and it was the only one he'd started applying for yet in terms of scholarships. His father would soon show his intentions of trying to set him on a path elsewhere, but soon as he was eighteen Kaito had made the decision with a couple of friends to rent an apartment together and make ends meet until they could all, hopefully, move out, one by one.

That's not to say he didn't enjoy his family, however, the group was an incredibly overbearing bunch.

Nothing magical happened in the first few days of school. They came, they went, Kaito would see Len sneak away from lunch to read under the shade of a tree, leaves blending orange and swaying to the ground in the coming fall wind. The boy was so pale, eyes a precious blue green like the deep and pure river. He took an interest right away, albeit the cold atmosphere the kid provided put him off of any form of approach. Kaito was the first upperclassman to reach out to Len. The meeting was particularly funny, the blue headed boy nervously challenged by the almost-judging glare Len threw his way. The younger's demeanour seemed to completely overhaul itself the moment Kaito openly wondered if he was constantly strained by a heavier mindset. He had cracked a smirk, and from that moment forward he gently began the process of opening up to the world.

At that moment, it seemed as if nothing significant really took place. One thing happened after another, then another, and another, and soon the days blended into weeks, and into a month. A very long-lived month. The situation seemed to spiral downwards on the line of friends-but-not-friends, confusion both drawing them together and apart. The once defined line of where they stood with each other blurred horrendously.

In their month of friendship, Len had learned many things about Kaito. The stripling was quite like an open book, his expressions always plainly and painfully displayed upon his face. He was very melancholic in his experiences, though usually defied his temperament and kept his tender feelings to himself, rather than expressing his sorrow. Even times when he was happy beyond belief, he did so in peace with a light splotch of pink to his cheeks as he calmed down from whatever excited him. Len thought it must have been a very lonely life to lead.

Now being two months into school, the November rain kicking up and storms beginning to spit their fiery lightning at the earth at the worst times, their first group project had come by. Kaito and Len offered to take research into their own sweaty grasps, and so the elder found himself cooped up in Len's small room behind a computer screen, divulging the information that he was recently getting over a bad break up with some guy. Beginning it, gender specifics were intentionally left out. Soon enough Kaito slipped into the habit of talking about his ex partner as male, and when Len inquired to his orientation, Kaito became unwound, fidgeting, looking so incredibly fragile for his age that Len couldn't believe such a thing was physically possible. The elder curled into himself, Len chuckled that he was not pretentious, nor religious, and it brought enough comfort to allow Kaito to open up and exclaim that he was gay. It was followed by an apology that Len waved away.

Returning with his own secret, the lad confided in Kaito that he himself was bisexual: his first kiss was lost to another boy on a dare at some party in seventh grade, and he enjoyed it thoroughly. Sometime after in the following year he found himself feeling the same attraction towards girls. His sister was right by his side through it all.

The youth and Kaito spend the next several weeks together, well into December. Every now and then Kaito would mention his ex. Little things that weren't incriminating or descriptive, no names or situations, just comments here and there about likes, dislikes, hobbies. Each note felt like two steps forward and one leap back between the two of them. While he was thrilled that he was being updated daily by the elder teenager, he also strangely felt dangerously closer to this heartbreaking stranger without ever having met the man. It was getting absolutely ridiculous.

Had Kaito been the one left behind, his slight obsession to make known every single bit of information may have been more understood. But he was the one who let go of the reins in the first place, he shouldn't complain so much.

_Right?_

Nevertheless, the thought remained selfish and wistful on behalf of Len. The topic was let go begrudgingly.

The last week of December there was a New Years Eve party three days before the actual event. Kaito invited his friends, hosting it in his house, and the invitations given out were plus-one. Len brought nobody, of course. All the people he thought of had already been given the green light to come by, if not Kaito directly, Kaito's extended welcoming. Rin brought her sophomore friend, some girl with pigtails, several other of the juniors Len was familiar with had brought people he did not know. The whole night was spent loud, a peculiar brunette stepping into the scene at one point with a couple bottles of beer for the eighteen year old students. Nobody really got drunk, he would say, but pig-tails girl was subject to playing chauffeur for the group of inebriated teens.

Len remembered that night in the most hazy sense. Things were touchy between he and Kaito, to say the least, as sometimes their friendship took an uncomfortable twist. By the end of the evening when people were slowly filtering out of the large house, the blonde had mentioned his interest in the older student. Rather, he had cornered the taller in determination. Rin may or may not have clued him in on key locations to find the other, but regardless Kaito accepted, admitting to reciprocating the sentiment. The next day they reconfirmed the confessions, and began to go out on dates regularly.

At school the following week, Len quickly fell into the group Kaito had had since his own days as a Freshman. Only a few knew about their relationship, and it made it much easier to keep things concealed from the outside world. The peculiar brunette from the New Years party was one of Kaito's closest friends, Meiko. She was hell bent on destroying every last teacher and staff in this school, countlessly tormenting whoever she could find in all her four years here. She was too glad to be graduating, but it was a wonder how she managed. While amusing to watch, Kaito told Len, the embarrassment from either side was often too much for him to handle. Meiko merely seemed to have no sense of shame, as the more _sensible_ side of their group put it. Luka was the shining light of them all, her maturity matched Len's and possibly raised it some with her wise mind. Rin eventually found refuge with the less initiated side of their group as well, knowing well about Len's dramatic feelings for the senior.

Within the next month of dating, straight into February, they officially came out to the rest of the group on the second. In the end, it appeared they really didn't surprise many of the others, and they were respected.

A few, three or four, weeks later, now March, Kaito finally invited Len over to his house. The timing was a bit weird, Len wasn't sure what had changed- before, any self invitation to the residence had been declined. He had no idea if Kaito was trying his damnedest to keep Len from meeting his parents or not, but it appeared so, and Len was not about to push it if Kaito was not ready to come out to their families. Len refrained from telling his own parents per request of the blue headed boy. It was upon walking into the entryway of the large abode that Len realised Kaito's family was out of town.

Kaito explained that there was a small fight between he and his parents, though mainly his father. His grandmother had fallen ill living elsewhere some few days prior. Parents making the split decision to take weekends to visit, Kaito was left ultimately alone to his own devices for breaks in school. Len asked why he didn't visit, though the answer was not only because of the quarrel, but the fact he was not on terms with his grandmother. The old bat, with her grey hairs and spotting skin. She was a spiritual person, and very closed minded. She came without an off button. Her visits often left him with the duty of scrubbing the counters or floors clean in disciplinary actions. She was a nag, and a scold. However, grandmother Shion was from his father's side, and therefore her strictness was completely accepted in the household, rather than dismissed. Of course, Kaito thought of it sort of like Karma, a month ago she had been diagnosed with a malignant tumour. Refusing to receive medical attention, she got worse by day in favour of repenting in the silence of her home with her numerous religious texts that she valued with her life. They brought her comfort. Kaito at least would respect her for being so devout.

When her tumour grew the size of a heel and began to affect her greatly, she accepted her forthcoming death and let herself be transferred to the hospital's faith ward, where she received no extreme medical care and was subject to bed confinement under luminescent bulbs as she died slowly each day. Her health rapidly began declining upon hospitalisation, and thus the decision to make weekend visits by his parents was made.

"I hope she passes in peace," was the elder's final comment on the topic at the time, leant to bury his nose into flaxen locks that smelt eerily of banana bread and vanilla creamer. That smell was always something he enjoyed.

In the month that had passed since then, Len was brought into the household, his weekend visits becoming almost an unspoken rule between them. The house was big, uncannily clean, even in Kaito's room. Len would also feel uncomfortable in this place were he to spend a whole three days alone every week with the copious amounts of empty space and the deadly echo that lingered throughout every hallway and room. Regardless, when there were two people in home, it made a great place for playful games of tackle and wrestling, which usually turned into small sessions of kissing or laughter and relaxation on the ground tied up in each other's limbs.

The kitchen was almost always stocked fresh. Len's definition of a perfect mean was a bowl of Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes, but the taller could cook and bake better than anyone Len had ever met (including the boy's mother, father, sister, and even grandfather; the last of the quartet could really only make spicy soups and too-thick-to-even-think-about-consuming chilli, however, so that didn't necessarily count), and definitely held a different meaning to the word food close to heart. Kaito never told Len who he learned to cook from, though the various cook books accompanied by the cleanliness lead Len to believe Kaito spent a lot more time at home alone than just the weekends. The poor guy was probably left to his own when his parents decided he was old enough to use the microwave.

Len felt a growing grudge against the other family spark inside of him, but often times Kaito would pull him down into an embrace and rub softly at the spot behind his ear that made him shiver and calm whenever he was tense.

Currently, the movie they were watching had played out, and old VCR tape of _The Dark Crystal,_ which had been something Kaito persistently insisted on watching. The TV flickered it's salt and pepper screen, running free now for fifteen minutes, as the elder had fallen asleep atop Len in the middle of the film, leaving Len the lone soul awake in this place. Not that he truly minded, his book was within hands reach and so he had grabbed it, his thirst for reading having gone unattended these last few days. Why didn't he get up to change the channel, or turn the electronic off wasn't too beyond him. The answer was simple: it was illegal to move with a sleeping Kaito on you. Just like a cat or a dog or any other tiny animal that enjoys taking long siestas on their owner's laps, the male was adored dearly and in the few quiet moments that Kaito got this sort of peace, Len didn't want to disturb.

Said resting being shifted in his sleep, wiping at a flushed cheek. Much like an innocent child, he often drooled out the corner of his mouth when he truly was achieving a good rest. The first couple of times Len had been a little more than worried and amused at the unconscious salivating, but now the feat came as endearing to him. He appreciated it as a part of Kaito, and even sometimes the salver would leave a sheen of shine across pink lips, making for an attractive sight.

The nagging of sleep never came for the younger. Eventually, some hour later, he put his book down. Hunger had found him first.

Gently shaking the other's shoulder, mentioning the time and giving a few gentle rolls of hair between his fingertips. With a groan, the slobbery senior rose up, letting the blonde escape before standing on his own and stretching. Kaito yawned, arms raising above his head as his lips smacked and balance teetered fragilely from foot to foot. Hip bones, perking out from above black sweat pants and puffy boxers, and naval were left on display as the shirt rose with the arms being lifted. Darker blue eyes were full of recovery and Kaito couldn't remember the last he'd ever felt so refreshed after a nap.

Len looked at him pleased, the way muscles contracted to get blood flowing quicker in the cold of the room. The body heat of another trapped between and underneath cotton left for nothing but goosebumps prickling his own arms when the captured warmth left. He flashed a smile to the other, who grinned back sheepishly. Len went pink, smile turning into a bit of a forced pout, and Kaito smirked. Scratching the back of his head in unspoken response, he continued to keep the thin shirt up by going to rub at his chest while he woke up further, heading into the kitchen. Len followed after, eyes lingering on any place a normal hormonal teenage boy would think to look, watching blue nails dispensary under the hem countless times before resurfacing for good to wash up. Len licked his lips, dragged his eyes away and comfortably slid into place next to the larger frame.

"Sleep well?" He chortled after a while.

Kaito replied almost breathlessly, the gruff of unconsciousness not yet weaning away from his voice. "Yeah, a lil'."

And just like that, it was silent once more. The warm, amiable stillness that had risen between them was more than welcome Usually in the silence, Kaito got uncomfortable, squirmy, even a bit paranoid. A long time ago the quiet meant for bad things to come. Finding someone like Len almost seemed to be a blessing in disguise, he could fix a small meal on the stove top when the other made them both tea without speaking and it was welcome. It felt natural. It felt euphoric. Mugs knocked on the counter top, the bundle of joy and smarts turning to fill them with water. Usually microwaving the water instead of boiling it, it took less time. No matter the amount of his maturity he held that was beyond his age, patience was not yet a virtue he has come across.

Len dug out a couple of tea packages his uncle had sent in to him from America. Among the few shirts and pants for spare clothing that were left over here, the blonde also left many snack foods and drink mixes to save them from the greedy hands of his sister. The warmth of tea before eating settled into his stomach nicely and both the boys felt content. They ate while joking. Len had two pieces of toast with jam and a small sausage with a side of syrup. Kaito made a note to go to the store soon, his fresh stock of food last week turned quickly to leftovers for this weekend. He nibbled on his own piece of toast, buttered instead of a jam spread. On his plate rest the remaining vegetable stir fry from the night before last. Comparing their two plates, the blue boy was astonished at how such an extraordinary kid could have such a stereotypical teenage appetite.

Kaito wouldn't change this kid for the world.

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><p><strong>an: **dis for u socks

happy birthday my sweet lenchild

also schools running systems like the american school systems in here because i dont understand how some other schools work yet and i dont want to write about something i dont understand

and their location will never be specified

please pardon errors its 4am and im going to bed


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

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><p>Monday mornings were hectic. No doubt, hands down, the<em>worst<em> thing to ever grace the planet, in the blue eyes of the Kagamine twins.

The day started of as per usual, with the young siblings fighting over who got to use the bathroom first. Rin argued that a shower was a womanly necessity, and when that didn't work, that if Len were a true man he would chivalrously let the lady go first. He, however, was not about standing around in his sweat for a half hour while she took care of her own daily needs. Once again, the battle took a turn for the worse as he pushed her and she shoved, and they both nearly broke the door in. In the end, Len was able to push her out of the way and lock himself within: all's fair in siblingship and war.

The daily routine soon behind the two, they finished last minute touch ups to their clothes and hair at the kitchen counter, nibbling on small fruity breakfast treats, just in time for Kaito to arrive. No, it wasn't really fair to say that Kaito simply _arrived_. He actually waited around the corner of the house, too scared to pull up in the driveway since the two had warned him that if he dare come too close, both Kagamine parents would have their hand at the good-cop-bad-cop game, asking him twenty questions and lecturing all three students for so long they'd all be doomed to missing first hour (that is, first hour at the _least_) and several phone calls throughout the remainder of the day to check in on how they were doing. Kaito wasn't quite ready to face the rest of the family about his car yet, either. He'd gotten it quite recently for his birthday, a gift from both his parents with the speech that a well respected eighteen year old should have some form of transportation that isn't the bus. Since his sophomore year Kaito's had his driver's license, and as a legal adult in the eyes of authorities, all the papers for insurance and other tedious details were signed over in his name once his father got him situated for the responsibility talk.

Kaito usually texted Len to signal his arrival. Rin never failed to make the _"how wonderful it works out to have a boyfriend who can drive, right, Len?"_ comment upon leaving the front door. Len usually stiffed, punched her arm and then raced her to the vehicle, calling shotgun.

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><p>"I'm tellin' you guys, I saw't with my own eyes!"<p>

The group sat huddled under a tree in the school courtyard for lunch. Meiko had made the best of her time by chowing down on all of her lunch, and additionally the scraps of food left behind by the rest of the students, as if her life depended on this sustenance, like she was going to war. She consumed every bit vehemently as if it were the last she was ever going to see food again. Nobody had the heart to tell her that it would be okay, it was only noon's time, dinner was less than six hours away, sans Luka, who reasoned with a raised brow that eating in such a way was going to make the brunette sick, no matter the strength of her alleged "iron gut". Only then did the lass slow her inhuman pace, even so much as stopping to take a drink from her water here and there.

Everyone's attention now graced the youngest of the group from whom the voice had come from. The silver haired boy, Piko, seemed to shrink away into himself at the sudden development. Rin pressed for an elaboration, having not heard the first bit of the statement, as well as most of the others, who were now intrigued as well. Even Kaito, nested snug up against Len's side, cheek pressed to the crown of the blonde's head, opened his eyes from whatever nap he could get, tired gaze following everyone's to the freshman.

He cleared his throat, "I- I saw't. That biker gang, the one the news keeps on talkin' about."

Kaito tensed, shifted, and closed his eyes again, relaxing after a quick inhale of the sweet smell provided by the flaxen tufts.

"Nonsense," Luka gasped, "where were you hanging around to even see such a thing?"

The boy's cheeks went pink as he twiddled his fingers. Rin laughed openly at the display. "There she goes, our number one _mama._" The comment earned a chuckle from most of the group. If the pinkette's looks could kill then Rin would have a room reserved for her in hotel Six Feet Under.

Len recalled the noise of this biker gang from Saturday's morning broadcast. Usually such things weren't highly regarded publically, the police and such chose to keep the news about things and the like on the down low for the most part, but a warning had been issued to be wary of going out late at night alone, because the whole thing seemed too shady. The roar of bikes at night that nobody ever saw, the gang members that the police could never catch on the crime scene, local stores were victims of horrid vandalism, only sometimes things like beer or money or cigarettes were taken, but never in extreme amounts. Only once, about a week ago, the cops had managed to shoot one alleged member down in the leg, but it was reported that the criminal had swallowed a pill before being taken in for questioning, and died in the wait for medical attention. There wasn't any cover up in this town, which was relatively quiet, and the whole ordeal shook the townspeople greatly with every new deep purple X that appeared around every hit location.

Piko bit his lip. "I was just lookin' out my window. The one that overlooks the alleyway, an' I saw't. This bike came roarin' down the path, knockin over a few rubbish cans and he spray painted on the bricks in purple. It's probably still there, if you don't believe me."

Everyone sat in silence as he recalled the events. Len furrowed his brows, Kaito officially deciding to sit up as any attempt at a nap was probably futile, and favoured draping his arm around the smaller shoulders. Luka, Meiko, Rin; the three ladies exchanged looks a few times, slowly beginning to chatter amongst themselves about the problem. They appeared more concerned than anything for the younger male, without a doubt worrying for his and his family's safety.

Unexpectedly, Kaito was the first to speak up. "Don't look so glum. They haven't said the group was into hurting other people, they just vandalise and steal. A group of people out for adrenaline and booze."

His outburst earned him a solid glare from Meiko, although nobody else picked up on the hidden emotion. "Still," She began firmly, drawing her chocolate hues away from the man and back to Piko. Kaito flinched. "be careful, we can never be too cautious." Luka nodded sagely to the comment, going over various methods of self protection and safety with the group that really only half listened to. They all fell back into eating for the remainder of lunch, then parted with heavy sighs for their remaining classes.

* * *

><p>Fifth hour was a health class for Rin and Len. Amazingly, the two in the same confined space so far into the new semester hasn't proved to be damaging or fatal, yet. Already they have gravitated toward one another in their seating arrangement, of course, and Rin did her best to annoy her level-headed brother, and he did his best to block her out. It was just like sitting at the dinner table, having to ignore her kicks under the table while stuffing food into his mouth. The moment he kicked back, she won, and he got in trouble. Len learned quickly that she was the short term thinker of the duo, and he did better as the silent, calculating brooder.<p>

The first week of class, the teacher and most of the students often got the two mixed up. Len, more reserved, and in looking exactly like Rin in every way, was often mistook for her. Vise versa, the exuberant youth was taken as her brother. Their styles of clothing were always relaxed, and in the cold weather they often wore matching or complementing outfits. They were identical down to the bone in looks, and that was something they've often used to their advantage while growing up. Soon enough, however, the differences were came more noticeable as the days went by, and their playful demeanor towards each other left the class in awe at how different twins could truly be.

It was, of course, an awfully silent moment between the two. Rin looked exhausted, slinking down in her seat. Len eyed her with the utmost concern for her health and posture. The moment she caught his stare, she was returning it with the pink tip of her tongue peeking out from the curls of her peach lips. The quiet affirmation was enough for him, bringing a second of relief washing over him. Her watch fell short and so Len, keeping in mind the hawk eyes of their teacher during the current lecture, scribbled a bit on a new page in his notebook, ripping the paper out and passing over the small note.

_— What's up, chicken butt?_

It slipped just under her thumb in the transaction, gracefully. She flicked it open and scanned the contents, scratching else something down onto the paper. Len took it back in haste, reading carefully.

_— You don't think those guys will go after Piko, right? (╯︵╰__,)_

Len thought for a moment, fingering the note and rubbing at the sweat forming on his chin. To say nothing would happen would be a lie — He didn't know for sure what the ordeal would bring. He didn't like it, not one bit, and the notion that it would end in blood became a loitering apprehension of his. He did the best he could manage as a reply in his chicken-footed handwriting, erasing a few times here and there though the harshly written words were prominent evermore underneath the newly written words.

_— I'm going to trust Kaito on this. They haven't hurt anyone yet, so we'll just have to wait._

Taking the note back into her own hands, she read over a slow distaste forming on her features. She visibly drooped down in her seat once more in defeat. It pained Len. He knew that wasn't the answer she had wanted, but it was the only one he really had at the moment. Rin pocketed the note, running a hand down her face. Licking the inside of his cheek, Len returned to observing the lecture, pushing away the manifesting foreboding aura that seeped from the corners of current circumstances.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, the bunch gathered together at a local fast food place, Piko and Luka exempt, as she wanted to make sure the boy got home safely. So she did, soon sending a text out to Meiko that they got there just fine, and she would be spending the evening going over safety procedures with Piko and his family, already beginning to fill his parents in on the situation.<p>

The message was something that felt rather lighthearted amongst a bunch of muck hanging in the air. Meiko chewed greedily at a hamburger dressed in everything known to man, Rin dined on fries while the two boyfriends shared an ice cream cone, chairs clanking together at the legs every time the shorter leaned over to wrap his lips around the frozen treat. Miku, who had come upon Rin's invitation, was still in line for whatever meal she had decided to buy, and the brunette paused in between a greasy bite to smile at the two boys. Over the span of their dating, Meiko had played a considerably great role in both supporting and hiding their escapades. Kaito's excuse to see Len was that he was really seeing Meiko, and Len's parents were simply glad to see the boy getting out of the house for once that he never really needed an excuse. Respectively, Kaito left Meiko his phone and the brunette forked over her own, so without a doubt his parents answered to his friend whenever they called, and Meiko (with an uncanny Kaito impression that made Len fear for a lot of reasons) answered for both herself and the blue haired teen. Suspicion was deterred, in the end, and the months had been going along quite swimmingly for them all.

Due to the trouble they give her, half her expenses today were paid from the boys' pockets. She used this to her advantage, sneaking up next to the pigtailed girl to order herself another large hamburger.

"So," Rin began, breaking the ungodly silence between the teenagers, "let's not worry too much yet, okay?"

Her bluntness hit Kaito first, his ice cream lowering and whatever mush in his mouth was swallowed. He looked from the cone, to Len, up to Meiko who was quickly returning with another tray of food, followed by Miku, then back to his ice cream. He continued to eat, but Len picked up on the sudden shift of nervousness brought on. Upon sitting Meiko's face begin to look serious at Kaito, and so much as questioned if he was doing all right. A minute later of reassuring, Meiko excused herself to the bathroom

The senior felt vibrations in his pocket, notifying him of a phone alert. Once, twice, and a third time, he passed the cone to his partner, mumbling with a confused expression that he had to be excused to take a call. Everyone assumed automatically that it was his parents calling, as he stood and walked out of the building into the brisk winter wind, nose reddening at the sudden temperature change. Blue locks whiped around and his free hand was dug into his pocket, and Len couldn't help but watch. Observing intently, Len noted the way the sun reflected off azure strands. The front of his features perfectly reflected the light, every change in his expression clear as the reflecting daylight. His jaw tightened and untightened a multitude of times, as if to speak, then biting his tongue to listen. His mind looked caught in something, and Len saw the struggle entirely in it's poetic beauty, letting out a soft breath before turning his attention to the sticky snack now starting to drip down his fingers. Rin laughed as he started to drip onto the table and used his tongue to clean his fingers.

Making her way back, Meiko sat at the group's table, rubbing her belly, grinning maniacally with a crude remark that "since the load is gone, she's got more room to eat". Kaito, too, ventured back to his seat, looking particularly bushed. Len offered the treat back to the elder once more, as Kaito craned his neck and licked softly at the youth's knuckles, cleaning it of the substance slowly before pulling the cone away and thoroughly finishing off the last of the ice cream. He ate the waffle holder swiftly, offering to go get napkins for the boy. Len, in his own surprised stupor, puffed up like a cat and slipped away to pick a few of the serviettes for himself, wiping his hand away all the while inspecting it with a daze in his eye. Meiko looked ready to bust a gut, and Rin was wide eyed as if she'd accidentally walked in on her parents having sex. Miku had averted her gaze in time. Taking the opportunity, as Rin seemed to contemplate life itself as the tealette was occupied with staring her food down, Kaito shot a knowing scowl to Meiko, and she too grew serious.

"That was my parents. They want me to come home, now."

Len found his way back over soon enough. Sure, it wasn't uncommon to have Kaito's parents decide on a whim they needed their only son home, but now that Kaito was eighteen, Len saw no reason for him to abide by their wishes so suddenly. It struck him weird, even, that so early in the afternoon they would call for him, but second guessing himself the blonde figured that he was being selfish in wanting to keep his time with Kaito as lengthy as he could. Like the rest, he accepted it without further question. They made their way to the door, and Meiko waved bye as she and Miku travelled to her car, the twins catching their own ride back with the other elder. Len called shotgun again, and Rin decided against arguing this one time.

The car ride was eerily mute, like a thick fog had developed between the three, causing them all to drift away. Len was uncomfortable, to say the least, Rin simply looked out the window. In the morning the atmosphere would change, she hoped, the event would blow over. Everyone hoped for the best in the mean time.

Arriving the block away from the residence like normal, Kaito came to a park and watched as his schoolmates exited the car. Len was a bit reluctant, and sensing such, the blue male beckoned him over to the drivers side window, a shy smile playing on his lips. Len always mentioned how readable Kaito was — Just now, as Len leaned his head into the open passage, he knew Kaito would pull him in for playful banter ("Cheer up, gloomy Len," "If you keep frowning like that your face will get stuck.") and then a soft, slow kiss — but often forgot that the other was not inept in the art of emotion reading either. His lips trailed to the corner of Len's mouth, leading the by to open his lips slightly and reposition himself for better access. He breathed in deep through his nose as cerulean fingernails gently scratched underneath his chin, before pushing him away regrettably. There was a lookin his eyes of deep apology, Len saw, something more than a simple sorry for the short date buried deep within.

Backing away from the car, he waved goodbye to his counterpart before turning around, hands firmly pressed together in his hoodie's pocket. Not another glance backward was spared as he heard the soft revv of an engine sounded the automobile coming to life, and the skid of tires as Kaito swiftly drove away.

* * *

><p>Coming to an abrupt stop before his laptop, the screen shining bright in the dim light of his room, Len stared for a moment at the corner of the monitor as it's glare reflected off the stray drops of water sliding down his pale skin. His shower hadn't lasted too long, he noted in the glance, he reemerged from the bathroom across the hall to his own bedroom clad in a thin pair of boxers and his towel hanging around his neck, thinking it was much later than it was. It was half past eight the next time Len caught word from Kaito. A couple minutes after that was when Len had decided to take a relaxing shower, because even though he had one early that morning, all of the day's grime and unanswered emotions were weighing him down impossibly so, and all he so wished was to let the tap run it down the drain. He nearly scalded himself with the water as he absentmindedly stuck a foot in after it ran on hot for a while, but fixed the temperature quickly to a reasonable heat. He wanted his muscles to relax, not for his skin to blister and peel from burns.<p>

Now, he's sliding into his seat, blonde locks remaining a damp mess of flattened bangs and unkempt ends, splaying everywhere in it's wet nature. _It's grown a bit long_, he denoted while staring at a screen full of Skype messages. He's thought about cutting it short enough that he wouldn't need a ponytail. Besides, it got too difficult to manage at times.

**[08:42:31 PM] Ice Ice Baby:** I know you're in the shower, but I wanted to say that since Wednesday is late start, I'd like to take you out to breakfast. Yeah?

Typical procedure. Ask now, or forget later.

**[08:57:16 PM] Banana Boy:** where to?

**_… Typing_**

**[09:00:13 PM] Ice Ice Baby:** That one waffled themed restaurant you always drool over when we drive past.

Len feigned offense, making a jokingly distraught noise, even though Kaito couldn't hear. He quickly grew excited.

**[09:01:05 PM] Banana Boy:** sounds nice… um.  
><strong>[09:01:24 PM] Banana Boy:<strong> is it gonna be just us?

Suddenly feeling very modest, Len pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin between the groove of where his caps met. It's been some time since he and Kaito went anywhere alone together in public. While weekend house visits and sleepovers were great, there was only a certain amount of things to do. Len clung desperately to that childish excuse while clinging equally as desperately to the towel around his neck. He'd rather that than the truth— he wanted to show Kaito off without sharing. He was still very immature, as many his age were, in romance, and this fact was already registered by both in the pair.

**[09:05:17 PM] Ice Ice Baby:** You can invite Rin if you want?  
><strong>[09:05:26 PM] Banana Boy:<strong> NO.  
><strong>[09:05:32 PM] Banana Boy:<strong> no rin.

He could very well hear the laughter from Kaito crystal clear.

**[09:06:12 PM] Ice Ice Baby:** Okay.  
><strong>[09:06:29 PM] Ice Ice Baby:<strong> Just us, then.

Len did a little rock in his seat like an excited child waiting on a car ride to an amusement park. Honest, he used to mock those sort of impatient kids, but now this unexpected relationship has pit past against present, and he is forced to deal with little explosions of happy and nervous butterflies in his stomach at times here and there. The boy bit his lip in anticipation, staring at the screen expectantly when the typing sign popped up.

**[09:07:11 PM] Ice Ice Baby:** Can I call you?  
><strong>[09:07:19 PM] Banana Boy:<strong> ofc.

Not even a second later, a little dialogue bubble with the options to accept or decline popped up. It was unexpectedly swift to come, but Len answered with mic regardless. Kaito was on camera, wearing a nightshirt and most likely boxer briefs, if Len had learned anything from spending a month's worth of weekends at the elder's house. Such an outfit was his usual nightwear, and Len never had a consistent style, usually falling asleep in whatever light clothes he could find. Kaito asked where he was, playfully, and with chuckle Len replied that he should be patient, that he was more than half naked. As an afterthought, he added on flirtatiously, _"unless you want to see?"_ which had the man quiet, more than likely contemplating the seriousness of the question and whether or not he should accept.

Len rolled his eyes and trudged to his closet, digging around for something of value.

He withdrew in victory upon finding a light blue hoodie. He smiled at the memory of when he first received it. The first time Kaito had attempted doing laundry by himself, he hadn't read the hoodie's label, and thought bleach would get an ink stain out. It resulted in the hot water not only shrinking the apparel two sizes smaller (which, coincidentally, was the perfect size for Len, so it needn't much convincing to get him to hand it over), but left blotchy stains of white on the bottom by the front pocket. He pulled the clothing on over his head in short notice, scrunching his nose at the sudden assault of accumulated dust from it's weeks of hiding. If Kaito was around, of course, the article of warmth would be completely obsolete in terms of use — The elder was like a living heater. If he didn't know any better, Len would say his fixation on cold sweets came from the dire need to cool himself off from the inside out. Even if Kaito wasn't around, he usually had the larder's jackets that always swamped him. Those pullovers were appreciated greatly, they smelt fresh of the upperclassmen and brought him a strange sense of home. He couldn't say he preferred this fitted piece to the regular hoodies, but he found solace in it nonetheless.

Sliding back into his seat, the blonde exhaled, soon turning on his own webcam. He watched as blue eyes widened and a large grin fixated on Kaito's face from ear to ear.

"You look nice."

"I just got out of the shower — I'm all wet." Len answered humbly, snuggling deeper into the hoodie.

In response, Kaito laughed. It was a nice laugh to len, calming, light and airy. The blonde slid in his chair just enough to rest comfortably against the back. The next couple of minutes were spent chatting about little things. How the youth's shower went, how Kaito's day had been before school let up and after his parents asked for him to come home so soon, why they needed him to return. Kaito was a little stuck about the topic at first, almost like he didn't know what to say rather than didn't want to talk about it, but Len consoled him momentarily and his counterpart blubbered out that his grandmother's condition had worsened even greater, and that it was for sure she had very little time left to live. It was quiet for a moment after, but chatting picked up quickly and the whole air seemed to thin and change between them. They carried on like that well past eleven when Len rested his head on his desk, words melting into mutters at this point. Soon enough, he was lulled to sleep by the gentle ticking of his wall clock and Kaito's peaceful humming.

Pulling out his phone, Kaito texted the lady twin, asking kindly of her to tiptoe into Len's room and cover him with a light blanket. Upon her first declination, he bribed her with movie tickets, and sweetened the deal with a week's worth of morning oranges. Rin responded that the tickets weren't needed, but she'd relish the round delights. The two waved to each other when meeting glances via call as she entered the room. Rather, Kaito waved, and she stuck her tongue out. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't be there to do the task himself, he reminded her, and he just didn't have the heart to hang up on Len when he was asleep so soundly.

Migrating his pillow and blankets from his bed to his desk, Kaito too soon fell asleep in the gentle glow of his computer light.

* * *

><p>The next morning, both boys were rudely woken by Rin's incoherent shrieking.<p>

At around two, Len woke up to Kaito's usual nightmare induced noise frenzy. In his half asleep mind, he didn't quite register that a computer screen separated the two, and felt the same worry and dread that usually came with the night episodes. He murmured kind words gingerly to the other for the next hour or so until the larger had calmed and returned to a restful sleep. It took him about another ten minutes to fall back asleep after that.

Deprived of an hour and ten minutes of sleep, accompanied by the lasting truth that Len was not a morning person if he did not wake up by himself, meant for his crankiness and yelling back at the blonde girl as her high pitched cries of abstract nonsense pulled him about a half hour too soon from his state of unconsciousness. It was not a way to start a Tuesday. But, Rin was frantic, and soon learnt she was so over very good reasons. As she finally got what she needed to say out, the trio were both shaken up at the problem.

"That place we ate at yesterday— the biker gang hit it right after we left."

* * *

><p><strong>an: **a yooki crying in the distance

[i'm considering that kaito "why ice ice baby" len *dances* comic as like semi fanart already starts laughing]


End file.
